Gas-engine.



No. 642,706. Patented Feb. 6,1900.- A. L. NAVONE.

GAS ENGINE.

' (Application filed July 5, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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P atented Feb. 6, 1900. A. L. NAVONE.

G A S E N G l N E.

(Application filed July 5, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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I UNITED STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

ANTONIO L. NAVONE, OF CALISTOGA, CALIFORNIA.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,706, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed July 5, 1898. Serial No; 685,082. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO L. NAVONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oalistoga, county of Napa, State of Oalifornia,have invented an Improvement in Gas-Engines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in gas-engines.

It consists in the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my engine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the cylinder. Fig. 3 .is a detail of the oil-regulating device by the governor. Fig. 4 is a section through the carbureter.

A is the cylinder of my engine, which differs from the cylinders of ordinary gas-engines in having a head at each end and a stuffing-box B, through which the piston-rod 0 passes at one end, said piston-rod being connected with a slide in the usual manner of engines and theslide being connected with the crank on the main shaft by a connecting-rod. The stuffing-box B has a gland 13, adapted to screw or be otherwise adjusted within it.

Z2 is arin g of metal having a groove or channel I) made around its inner circumference and fitting against the piston-rod 0 upon each side. At the bottom of the chamber in the stuffing-box is a fibrous packing b and the ring I) fits against this packing. Exterior to the ring I) is another fibrous packing-ring b and the gland B fits against this outer packing.

b is an oil-hole through which the packing is lubricated. This oil-hole delivers oil into a channel b made in the upper part of the cylinder -chamber of the stuffing-box, and within this groove or channel is fitted the peculiarly-shaped piece I). This piece fits in the correspondingly-shaped groove or channel and hasa depression or trough formed in its central portion, with ahole through it in line with the hole in the ring I), which hole communicates directly with the circular groove or channel 1) Within the ring. By this construction the oil passing through the passage b will be delivered into the depression or trough in the piece 5 and will pass through the opening in the bottom of the trough to cient length so that it is never carried out of line with the oil-hole b tinuous and proper lubrication of the packing-ring.

The piston D is of such length with relation to its stroke that its ends alternately pass a little beyond the center of the cylinder during its reciprocation and uncover the exhaust-passage E, which is made to connect with the center of the cylinder. Thus when the piston has moved, for instance, from right to left its right end will just pass this exhaust-passage at the end of the stroke and allow the waste products to escape, and, returning, the opposite end will also pass this exhaust-passage and allow the waste products of the explosion from that end to discharge.

In order to supply the cylinder with an explosive gas without using the piston as a suction-pump, which necessitates a stroke to charge the cylinder before the explosion takes place, I employ a blast apparatus or forcing mechanism of any suitable description. I

This insures a conhave here shown it illustrated in the form of v a fan-blower F, from which air is conveyed by a pipe G to the carbureter H by the foreing or pressure apparatus. The pipe branches so that one part leads to the carbureter and the other part to the valve-chamber J of the engine. Gas from the carbureter is also brought to the valve-chamber by a pipe I, and by suitable cooks the proportions of air and gas may be changed to obtain the most effective mixture. By means of a governor mechanism the supply of oil to the carbureter and of gas to the cylinder are regulated, as

hereinafter described. From the valve-charm ber J pipes K lead to the ends of the cylinder. Within the valve -chamber J is a valve L, which in the present case I have shown as of the well-known D form. It is operated by a valve-stem L, connecting with an eccentric or cam upon the main shaft, with an intermediate link M, by which the motion maybe reversed if desired. At the ends of the pipes K adjacent to the cylinder are the automatic outwardly-opening puppet-valves N. The operation of this portion of the apparatus will be as follows: The explosive gas under pressure being delivered through the conveying-pipe I to the valve-chamber J, the reciprocations of the valve L will alternately open the port-s connecting with the pipes K, so thatwhen the gas is admitted to one of these pipes it is immediately forced into the cylinder, the puppet-valve N lifting freely to admit it. This action takes place just as the piston has completed its stroke and has passed the exhaust-passage E, so that the principal portions of the products of the combustion have escaped through the exhaust by their own elasticity. The inrush of the new explosive gas will force out the major part of the remainder of the waste gas, and the movements of the parts are so timed that at this instant the piston, returnin g, will have closed the exhaust-ports E, and

the gas within the cylinder will then be compressed by the return movement of the piston in readiness to be exploded. As soon as the pressure within the cylinder becomes greater than the pressure which is forcing the gas into the cylinder the puppet-valve N at that end will be immediately closed and the compression within the cylinder previous to the explosion takes place. This action occurring at each reciprocation of the piston, it will be manifest that an explosion will take place by the ignition of the compressed gas when the piston moves away from the end of the cylinder toward the center from each direction, and the operation thus becomes continuous instead of intermittent.

Various devices may be employed for igniting gas. I have here shown an elasti'carm 0, having one pole of a battery connecting with it and extending into a chamber which communicates with the charge within the cylinder, and within this chamber is mounted a rotary star-wheel O, which is turned at the proper interval, so as to make and break contact with the arm 0, and thus produce the necessary spark for exploding the charge.

The oil or gasolene for the carbureter is supplied from any suitable tank or source by means of a pump P, which forces it through a conducting-pipe into a chamber or reservoir Q, situated just above the carbureter H and connected with it by a pipe which opens into the upper part. The water circulated around the cylinder-jacket to keep the parts cool becomes heated, and this water after leaving the engine cylinder is conveyed through a central pipe H, passing through the carbureter, and the liquid to be vaporized is deliveredinto the upperend of the carbureter, where it is received within a spiral trough B. This trough passes around the central pipe from the top to the bottom of the apparatus, and the liquid will be thus vaporized by the heat from the pipe and will be united with the air which is admitted so as to mingle with the vapor in an explosive proportion, and be thence conducted by the pipe I to the cylinder.

The supply of oil to the carbureter is regulated by a valve within a valve-chamber S,

and this valve is actuated by a rod T, connecting with the valve-stem and with an arm or lever t, which is actuated directly from the governor. The governor may be of any usual 01' suitable description which will when running at a high speed close the valve and reduce the supply and when running at a lower speed will open the valve and increase the supply. the gas-supply to the cylinder in the usual manner.

In order to start up my engine from a state of rest, I may either rotate it by hand until the cylinder has been charged and the charge of gas is compressed in one end, so as to be exploded, or (as I prefer) I have here shown a reservoir U, into which I compress a body of air up to such pressure as may be needed to effectively move the engine for two or three revolutions. This reservoir is connected with the valve-chamber J by a pipe U, and both this pipe and the pipe I, through which gas is supplied, are provided with suitable controlling cocks or valves, so that when one is in use the other may be cut off. The air-chamber being fully charged and tight enough will retain the air for any desired period and will be in readiness for use. henever-the engine is to be started the valve controlling the gas-supply is shut, and the valve admitting air from the reservoir being opened air will pass into the valve-chamber J and will be admitted through the pipes K, was to start the engine by direct pressure. As soon as the engine has thus started, the air-supply valve will be closed and the gas-supply valve opened, when the engine will continue its movement by the use of the gas.

The oil-pump may be driven by any suitable arrangement of gearing or other wellknown mechanism from the main crank-shaft, and the forcing device which supplies the cylinder with the explosive gas can be operated in a like manner by power derived from the crank-shaft, as illustrated in the drawings.

In some cases it is found necessary or desirable to start the engine by hand, as when the air-reservoir is not charged. When this is done, the engine is turned in the usual manner for starting such engines and the piston acts as a pump to draw in a charge of explosive gas at the front or piston-rod end of the cylinder, and this is compressed on the return of the piston and ignited.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas-engine, a cylinder closed at both ends and having a piston, piston-rod and connections by which the piston is reciprocated The same governor also controls IIO from end to end of the cylinder, a centrallylocated exhaust port, gas-supply passages opening into each end of the cylinder with inwardly-opening spring-closed puppet-valves, pipes connecting said openings and valves with a centrally-disposed slide-valve, a carbureter with pipe connecting it with the slidevalve chamber, and means for reciprocating the valve so as to alternately admit the explosive gas to the opposite ends of the cylinder at the instant when the piston has passed the exhaust-port to allow the waste products of a former explosion to escape.

2. In a gas-engine, a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston reciprocable therein with piston-rod and crank connections, a centrallydisposed exhaust-port so located that the piston passes beyond it at the completion of each stroke to allow the exhaust of waste products of combustion, inlet-passages with controlling outwardly-closable puppet-valves at each end of the cylinder, a slide-valve and chamber with pipes connecting it with said passages, a generator for explosive gases and a pipe connecting said generator with the slide-valve chamber, and a second pipe connecting with the valve-chamber and supplying air thereto, whereby the proportions of the explosive mixture may be varied.

3. In a gasengine, a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston reciprocable therein with piston-rod and exterior crank connections, inletopenings and inwardly opening puppetvalves at each end of the cylinder, a slidevalve, passages controlled thereby connecting with said inlet-openings, a generator, with means for supplying a hydrocarbon liquid thereto, and means for vaporizing the same, and a pipe connecting the generator with the slide-valve chamber, an air-forcing mechanism, a pipe leading therefrom to the generator and a branch leading to the slidevalve chamber with cocks whereby the supply through either branch may be varied.

4. In a gas-engine, a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston reciprocable therein, valvecontrolled inlet-passages near the ends of the cylinder and a central exhaust-passage beyond which the piston passes at the completion of each stroke to allow the escape of the products of combustion, a slide-valve movable in a valve-chamber, and passages controlled thereby connecting with the inletopenings at the ends of the cylinder, a generator, means for supplying hydrocarbon liquid thereto and vaporizing the same, abranch air-pipe with controlling-valves, one portion connecting with the generator and the other directly with a slide-valve chamber, a blast apparatus by whichair is forced through said pipes and alternately into opposite ends of the cylinder at the completion of each stroke, a valve-controlled supply from which hydrocarbon liquid is delivered to the generator, a governor actuated by the engine and connections by which the liquid-supply to the generator, and the gas-supply to the engine, are simultaneously controlled.

5. In a gas-engine, a cylinder closed at each end, a piston reciprocable therein, valve-controlled ports at each end of the cylinder, an intermediate valve chamber and passages connecting it with said ports and a controlling slide-valve, a generator with means for supplying hydrocarbon liquid and vaporizing the same, a pipe having valve controlled branches, one of which leads directly to the generator, and thence to the slide-valve chamber, and the other directly to the valve-chamber itself, and an air-forcin g mechanism connecting with said pipe whereby the explosive vapor and air are forced'through the valveports and connecting-passages when opened so as to charge the cylinder by direct pressure at the instant of the opening of the exhaustpassage.

6. In a gas engine, a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston reciprocable therein, valve-controlled inlet-passages near the ends of the cylinder and a central open exhaust-passage, a slide-valve chamber with air and explosivegas connections, pipes leadingtherefrom to the cylinder, inlet-passages, a reservoir adapted to contain a body of air under pressure, a

pipe connecting it with the slide-valve chamhand.

A. L. NAVONE. Witnesses:

H. C. THOMPSON, JOSEPH MEcKLENBURG. 

